Point of sale method and apparatus for making and dispensing aerated frozen food products

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for making and dispensing frozen aerated products includes a rotating horizontal freeze plate with an upper surface for receiving a chilled aerated mix. The chilled aerated mix includes, in one embodiment, a base that has been sufficiently aerated, and at least one flavor. The horizontal freeze plate rotates about its central axis. The apparatus also includes a spreader body for distributing the chilled aerated mix on the rotating freeze plate. The spreader body extends radially across at least a portion of the upper surface of the freeze plate. The apparatus further includes a scraper for scraping frozen aerated mix off of the rotating freeze plate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/408,380, filed on Mar. 20, 2009, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/095,051, filed on Sep. 8, 2008.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

Point of sale methods and vending apparatuses are disclosed forproducing and dispensing aerated frozen food products such as highquality ice cream and frozen yogurt.

2. Description of the Related Art

The preparation of ice cream and other aerated frozen food productsrequires the combining of a liquid slurry or mix with air while freezingthe aerated slurry. The process of adding air to the mix is known aswhipping. When the mix is whipped inside a freezer or at sufficientlylow temperatures, tiny air cells are created. These air cells increasethe volume of mix, and the additional volume produced is referred to as“overrun.” The higher the overrun, the less ice cream and the more airwill be in the product. Premium ice cream has a very low overrun. Thus,the quality of the finished ice cream product depends on the amount ofoverrun as well as the manner in which the aerated mix is frozen anddispensed.

Currently, most point of sale ice cream or frozen yogurt machines arelimited to “soft serve”-type products and are usually dedicated todispensing only one or two flavors of soft serve product and, in somecases, a combination of the two. For example, one soft serve machinewill include two separate freezing chambers for making and dispensingchocolate and vanilla soft serve product. For other flavors, a secondsoft serve machine is required. The reason for the flavor limitation isthat each freezing chamber contains a large volume of soft serve productintended for dispensing throughout the business day. In order to changeor add new flavors, a freeze chamber must be emptied and cleaned beforethe new soft serve flavor can be made.

Another problem associated with point of sale soft serve machinesrelates to sanitation. As with any retail food appliance, the containersof pre-flavored mix from which the aerated soft serve product is mademust be sanitary. The use of additional machines for providing moreflavors increases the labor costs associated with sanitizing eachmachine. While high volume businesses have sales to justify the presenceof several soft serve dispensing machines dispensing for a variety ofproducts and flavors, many smaller businesses either cannot afford costsor labor associated with additional machines or do not have the floorspace required for additional machines.

Further, because soft serve products are pre-made in quantities intendedto last through the business day, most of the product remains in thechamber after formation and until it is dispensed hours later. Becausesoft serve ice cream or yogurt tastes better when it is fresh, thequality of the soft serve product may be compromised if sales are slow.

Point of sale soft serve machines are also difficult and time consumingto clean and maintain. Proper cleaning requires the machine to be purgedof remaining product, and all interior walls, pumps and other parts thatcome into contact with the product must be cleaned and sanitized toprevent bacteria growth. Such cleaning operations are costly in terms oflabor, down time, and product waste.

In addition to the problems associated with soft serve ice cream andfrozen yogurt dispensers described above, there is a demand fortraditional ice creams that cannot be made by a conventional soft servedispensing machine. Traditionally, these higher-quality ice creams areproduced in five gallon quantities thereby requiring an ice cream shopto have expensive elongated open-top freezers for the display andserving of the various ice cream flavors. While traditional ice creamswith less overrun have a reasonably long shelf life, the cost of thefreezers and the energy use can be prohibitive to many small businesses.To alleviate this problem, point-of-sale gourmet ice cream dispensingmachines are being developed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,967 discloses amachine for making a single serving wherein the aerated product isfrozen in and dispensed from a tube structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,713discloses a disposable conduit with an air mixing chamber and sidebranches for adding flavors. While not environmentally sound, thedisposable conduit provides certain sanitary benefits.

US2006/0162348, US2006/0162347, U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,279, U.S. Pat. No.7,052,728, U.S. Pat. No. 6,952,928 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,228, commonlyassigned to MooBella LLC of Taunton, Mass., USA, all disclosepoint-of-sale ice cream vending machines that utilize a rotatinghorizontal freeze plate for the distribution of the aerated mix andvarious means for scraping the frozen aerated mix off of the freezeplate prior to placement of the frozen aerated mix into a container forthe customer.

However, the above-described MooBella machines, while clearly providingadvantages over the prior art, still suffer from several deficiencies.First, while the MooBella machines provide a more traditional ice creamproduct that serves as a distinct alternative to a soft serve product,the shape of the dispensed MooBella product is roughly in the form of anelongated cylinder, as opposed to a rounded scoop, like those served intraditional ice cream shops. Thus, the MooBella vending machines fallshort of accurately imitating the look of scooped ice cream served bytraditional ice cream shop. Second, the MooBella machines are difficult,time-consuming and therefore costly to sanitize at the end of eachbusiness day. Multiple parts must be disassembled, cleaned andreassembled. Therefore, a point-of-sale ice cream vending machine thatis easier to sanitize in compliance with local health department codesis needed. Further, improvements in terms of air distribution andmixing, flavor distribution and mixing, solid material or “mix-ins”distribution and mixing as well as product delivery time or speed anddependability are also required. Finally, the MooBella machines that arecurrently available and disclosed in the above patents and publishedapplications are not mechanically reliable and do not produce an icecream product of consistent quality.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In this disclosure, the above deficiencies are addressed and improvedmethods and apparatuses for producing and dispensing ice cream oraerated frozen confectionery products at a point-of-sale are disclosed.

One disclosed apparatus for making and dispensing frozen aeratedproducts comprises a rotating horizontal freeze plate comprising anupper surface for receiving a chilled aerated mix thereon. The apparatusalso comprises a scraper for scraping frozen aerated mix off of therotating freeze plate. The scraper forms a channel for the collection ofscraped, frozen and aerated mix. The apparatus also comprises aretractable plow for pushing the mix through the channel towards a cupheld by a cup-holder of a cup-lifter mechanism disposed at an end of thechannel. The cup-lifter mechanism comprises a frame with an opening inalignment with the channel. The cup-holder includes a rear end and afront end. The rear end is disposed between the frame and the front endand the rear end is coupled to a motor. The cup-holder is coupled to adoor that covers the opening when the cup-lifter mechanism is in a firstposition. The door is movable to a second position above the openingwith the cup-holder pivoted upward in alignment with and covering theopening with a cup when a cup is received in the cup-holder.

In a refinement, the front side of the cup-holder is coupled to the doorand the door is slidably coupled to the frame.

In a refinement, the door comprises a wiper element for wiping the plowwhen the door moves from the second to the first position and when theplow is disposed at the opening in the frame after the plow has pushedthe mix into the cup.

In a refinement, the frame comprises a rear wall in which the opening isdisposed, the rear wall comprising a pair of spaced-apart tracks thatare slidably coupled to the door.

In a refinement, the rear wall comprises a wiper element for cleaning arear side of the door that faces the channel and plow.

In a refinement, the frame comprises a wiper element for cleaning a rearside of the door that faces the channel and plow.

In a refinement, the front end of the cup-holder is hingedly connectedto the door by a pair of spaced-apart arms disposed on either side ofthe cup-holder.

In a refinement, the frame comprises a pair of sidewalls. Each sidewallcomprises a shaped track including a lower arcuate portion and an uppervertical portion. The cup-holder comprises a pair of outwardly extendingand oppositely directed pins. Each pin is slidably disposed in one ofthe shaped tracks. The lower arcuate portions of the shaped tracks causethe cup-holder and cup to pivot upward towards the opening and thevertical portions of the shaped tracks cause the cup-holder and cup tomove vertically upward in alignment with the opening.

In a refinement, the frame comprises a pair of opposing side plates inwhich the shaped tracks are disposed.

In a refinement, the rear end of the cup-holder comprises a shaft withone end of the shaft coupled to the motor and the opposite end of theshaft rotatably coupled to the frame.

In a refinement, a home sensor is included for detecting when thecup-holder is in at least one of the first and second positions, thehome sensor and motor being linked to a controller.

In a refinement, the scraper body is coupled to the frame.

In a refinement, the plow comprises a plow face that engages the mix.The plow face comprises a shingled cross-sectional profile to inhibitsticking of the scraped, frozen aerated portion to the plow face.

In a refinement, the frame further comprises an upwardly protruding cupsupport and the cup-holder comprises a ring to support a cylindrical orfrusto-conically shaped cup within the ring. In the first position, thecup-holder is rotated downward so that a bottom panel of the cup engagesthe cup support to release frictional engagement between the cup and thering.

One disclosed method for making ice cream at a point of sale vendingmachine comprises: rotating a freeze plate; starting a first aircompressor; starting first and second pumps; pumping a stream of chilledbase with the first pump; injecting air into the stream of chilled basewith the first air compressor to provide a stream of aerated chilledbase; injecting at least one flavor into the stream of aerated chilledbase with the second pump to provide a stream of aerated mix; deliveringthe stream of aerated mix onto the rotating freeze plate; while thefreeze plate rotates, spreading the aerated mix onto a portion of therotating freeze plate; while the freeze plate rotates, scraping thefrozen aerated mix off of the freeze plate with a scraper that forms achannel that extends radially across the freeze plate; accumulatingscraped frozen aerated mix in the channel; opening a door to the channelby rotating a cup towards the channel and vertically upward intoposition at an end of the channel; forming a rounded scoop-like portionfrom the accumulated scraped frozen aerated mix by extending a plowthough the channel; pushing the scoop-like portion into the cup with theplow; moving the cup vertically downward to dislodge the scoop-likeportion from the plow and pivoting the cup downward to an uprightposition for retrieval by a consumer.

Another disclosed apparatus for making and dispensing frozen aeratedproducts comprises a rotating horizontal freeze plate comprising anupper surface for receiving a chilled aerated mix thereon. The apparatuscomprises a scraper for scraping frozen aerated mix off of the rotatingfreeze plate. The scraper forms a channel for the collection of scraped,frozen and aerated mix. The apparatus also includes a plow for pushingthe mix through the channel towards a cup held by a cup-holder disposedat an end of the channel. The scraper is biased against the uppersurface of the freeze plate by a hold-down plate when the hold-downplate is in a clamped position.

In a refinement, the hold-down plate is coupled to and extends betweentwo vertical posts disposed on diametrically opposed sides of the freezeplate. Each post is coupled to a lever. The lever moves the posts andhold-down plate from a released position where the hold-down plate andscraper can be removed for cleaning to the clamped position forfabricating scraped, frozen and aerated mix.

In a refinement, the posts are each coupled to a pivoting bracket. Thepivoting brackets are coupled to the lever. The brackets are disposedbeneath the freeze plate.

In a refinement, the posts are biased in an upwardly direction.

In a refinement, the pivoting brackets each comprise a proximal end anda distal end. The proximal ends of the pivoting brackets are pivotallycoupled to a fixed proximal axis. The distal ends of the pivotingbrackets are each coupled to fixed distal axes by two coupling membersand three pins thereby forming triple pivot connections between thedistal ends of the pivoting brackets and the distal fixed axes.

In a refinement, the pivoting brackets lock in the clamped position.

In a refinement, the posts are each coupled to a clamp that eachfrictionally receive an end of the hold-down plate.

In a refinement, the apparatus further comprises a spreader body fordistributing the chilled aerated mix on the rotating freeze plate priorto the mix engaging the scraper. The spreader body may be mountedbeneath the hold-down plate.

In a refinement, the scraper is coupled to the cup holder and, when thehold-down plate is in the released position, the cup holder and scrapercan be removed for cleaning and the hold-down plate and spreader bodycan be removed for cleaning.

In a refinement, the spreader body further comprises a cleaning edge anda spreading edge. The spreader body is pivotally coupled to a rodpassing through the hold-down plate. The spreader body is movablebetween a spreading position where the spreading edge engages the uppersurface of the freeze plate and a cleaning position where both thecleaning edge and spreading edge engage the upper surface of the freezeplate.

In a refinement, the spreading edge comprises a spreader blade disposedbetween two rounded end supports. The spreader blade is recessed withrespect to the rounded end supports wherein, in the spreading position,the spreader blade is supported above the upper surface of the freezeplate by the rounded end supports.

In a refinement, when the spreader body moves from the cleaning positionto the spreading position, the rod moves vertically upward causing thecleaning edge to pivot upward away from the freeze plate as at least onebiasing member holds the spreading edge against the upper surface of thefreeze plate in both the spreading and cleaning positions.

In a refinement, the freeze plate, scraper and plow are disposed withina liner, the liner comprising a drain for the release of cleaning waterand debris.

Another disclosed method for making ice cream at a point of sale vendingmachine, the method comprises: clamping a spreader and a scraper onto anupper surface of a rotatable freeze plate so that the spreader andscraper each extend radially across a portion of the freeze plate in aspaced-apart fashion, the scraper further comprising a body that forms achannel that extends radially above the freeze plate; rotating thefreeze plate; providing a stream of chilled base; injecting air into thestream of chilled base to provide a stream of aerated chilled base;injecting one or more flavors into the stream of aerated chilled base toprovide a stream of aerated mix; delivering the stream of aerated mixonto the rotating freeze plate between the spreader and the scraper;spreading the aerated mix onto the rotating freeze plate with thespreader to provide a layer of frozen aerated mix; scraping the frozenaerated mix off of the freeze plate with the scraper; accumulatingscraped frozen aerated mix in the channel; forming a rounded portionfrom the accumulated frozen aerated mix by extending a plow though thechannel towards a cup held in place by a cup-lifter mechanism andpushing the rounded portion into the cup.

Another disclosed apparatus for making and dispensing frozen aeratedproducts comprises a rotating horizontal freeze plate with an uppersurface for receiving a chilled aerated mix. The chilled aerated mixcomprises, in one embodiment, ice cream base that has been sufficientlyaerated and combined with one or more flavors. The horizontal freezeplate rotates about its central axis. The apparatus also comprises aspreader body for distributing the chilled aerated mix on the rotatingfreeze plate. The spreader body extends radially across at least aportion of the upper surface of the freeze plate. The apparatus furthercomprises a scraper for scraping frozen aerated mix off of the rotatingfreeze plate. The scraper comprises a scraper blade with a leading edgethat extends radially across the portion of the freeze plate and thatengages the upper surface of the freeze plate. The scraper blade isdirected opposite the direction of rotation of the freeze plate. Thescraper further comprises a body that forms an elongatedsemi-cylindrical channel above the scraper blade that extends radiallyacross the freeze plate for the collection of scraped, frozen andaerated mix. The apparatus also comprises a plow for pushing thescraped, frozen and aerated mix through the channel towards a cup heldby a cup-lifter mechanism disposed at an end of the channel. The actionof the plow pushing the scraped frozen aerated mix through the channeland directly into the cup results in a generally round scoop of scrapedfrozen aerated mix in the cup that closely resembles a serving scoopexperienced at a traditional ice cream shop.

In a refinement, the scraper is biased against the upper surface of thefreeze plate by a hold-down plate. In further refinement of thisconcept, the hold-down plate is coupled to and extends between twovertical posts disposed on diametrically opposed sides of the freezeplate. Each post may be coupled to a vertical cam. The vertical postsand consequently, the hold-down plate, may be biased upward by a pair ofsprings. The vertical cams move the posts and hold-down plate from areleased (upward) position for disassembly and cleaning to a clamped(downward) position for making the scoop.

In a further refinement, the vertical cams are disposed beneath thefreeze plate and are linked together by a pulley and lever system soboth cams can be moved simultaneously from the released to the clampedpositions and vice versa upon the movement of the lever.

In another refinement, the cup-lifter mechanism comprises a cup-holderthat, in turn, comprises a front side and a rear side. The rear side ofthe cup-holder is pivotally coupled to a frame. The frame comprises anopening in alignment with the channel of the scraper. The front side ofthe cup-holder is linked to a door that covers the channel when thecup-lifter mechanism is in a first position. The door is slidablycoupled to the frame and movable to a second position above the openingwhich causes the cup-holder to pivot upward in alignment with andcovering the opening with a cup when a cup is received in thecup-holder.

In a refinement, the door of the cup-lifter mechanism includes a loweredge that is used to dislodge a scoop from the plow in the event thescoop adheres to the face of the plow as it is been pushed into the cupby the plow. In operation, the plow is extended to push the scraped,aerated frozen mix towards the cup to form a scoop. Once the plow is inthe fully extended position, movement of the plow and cup is delayed forpredetermined period of time. The plow is then retracted partially andthe door is partially lowered so that the lower edge of the door engagesany product that may be adhering to the face of the plow. Afterdislodgment, the plow is refracted to a cleaning position where the dooris lowered fully and wiper elements on the door clean the face of theplow as the door proceeds downward to the closed position. The plow isthen fully retracted back through the channel in preparation for thenext dispense.

Other means for dislodging of frozen ice cream scoop from the plow faceinclude using air pressure, a flexible plow face, a plow face thatincludes an expandable bladder, a plow face with anexpandable/retractable piston member and/or heated plow face.

In a refinement, the gap between the spreader blade and the uppersurface of the freeze plate (provided by the rounded end supports andoptional middle support) is about 0.012″ (0.30 mm) when the spreaderbody is in the spreading position thereby providing for a 0.012″ thicklayer of aerated mix on the freeze plate. However, with the gapthickness can vary. For example, the gap thickness can be less than0.012″ and additional rotations of the freeze plate may be required toproduce an adequate serving size. Alternatively, a gap thickness ofgreater than 0.012″ may be employed in fewer rotations of the freezeplate may be required to produce an adequate serving size. Those skilledin the art will be aware that the gap thickness or aerated mix layerthickness, freeze plate temperature, freeze plate speed and qualities ofthe aerated mix may all be varied to produce the desired results.

In a refinement, when the spreader body moves from the cleaning positionto the spreading position, the rod moves vertically upward therebycausing the cleaning edge to pivot upward away from the freeze plate asthe spreader body engages an abutment, resilient member or spring biasedmember that holds the spreading edge against the upper surface of thefreeze plate in the spreading and cleaning positions. In one refinement,magnets of opposing polarities are used to bias the spreader edge of thespreader body against the freeze plate in both the spreading andcleaning positions.

In a refinement, the apparatus comprises a skeleton frame. The framesupports a first insulated compartment for the storage of base materialof the mix. The first insulated compartment is in communication with acompressor for maintaining the first insulated compartment within afirst temperature range. The frame also supports a second insulatedcompartment for accommodating the freeze plate, scraper, spreader bodyand plow (i.e., the “product fabrication module”). The second insulatedcompartment is in communication with the compressor for maintaining thesecond insulated compartment within a second temperature range. Thefreeze plate is linked to its own dedicated compressor or “chiller.” Theframe also supports a third compartment for accommodating liquidflavorings and solid “mix-in” materials (e.g., candy, granola,chocolate, etc.). Typically, the third compartment may be maintained ata higher temperature (e.g., 55° F.+/−5° F.; 12.8°+/−2.8° C.) than thefirst and second compartments (e.g., 36° F.+/−3° F.; 2.2° C.+/−1.7° C.).As a result, the third compartment may not require a separate compressorand baffles may be employed to control the flow of chilled air betweenthe first, second and third compartments. Preferably, one compressor maybe employed to cool all three compartments that are in need of cooling.

By way of example only, the first compartment that accommodates the basematerials may be conveniently disposed towards the bottom of the frameand maybe in direct and primary communication with the compressor. Thesecond compartment houses the ice cream fabrication equipment may bedisposed on top of the first compartment. One or more baffles may beemployed to provide the airflow to between the first and secondcompartments. The flavors and mix-in materials may be disposed in thethird compartment above the second compartment. Baffles and conduits maybe employed to provide controlled communication of chilled air betweenthe first and third compartments in between the second and thirdcompartments.

Further, it is desirable to control humidity in the second and thirdcompartments. Thus, these compartments may be vented to the atmosphereand a desiccant module may be employed in at least the secondcompartment for humidity and frost reduction. The desiccant module maybe employed to reduce the humidity of chilled air exchange between thesecond and third compartments

The skeleton frame also supports an additional compartment foraccommodating electronic components. This additional compartmentpreferably comprises a vent for releasing heat.

In another refinement, the second compartment is coupled to a blower bya one-way valve permitting air from the blower to enter the secondcompartment from the blower. The second compartment further comprises anouter window that isolates the second compartment and maintains thesecond compartment at a pressure greater than one atmosphere during themaking of the scoop of frozen, scraped aerated mix.

Another disclosed method for making and dispensing ice cream at a pointof sale vending machine comprises: rotating a freeze plate; providing astream of chilled base; injecting air into the stream of chilled base toprovide a stream of aerated chilled base; injecting one or more flavorsinto the stream of aerated chilled base to provide a stream of aeratedmix; delivering the stream of aerated mix onto the rotating freezeplate; spreading the aerated mix onto a portion of the rotating freezeplate with a spreader body that extends radially across the portion ofthe freeze plate to provide a layer of frozen aerated mix; scraping thefrozen aerated mix off of the freeze plate with a scraper that comprisesa scraper blade with a leading edge that extends radially across theportion of the freeze plate and that engages the freeze plate and isdirected opposite a direction of travel of the freeze plate, the scraperfurther comprising a body that forms an elongated semi-cylindricalchannel above the scraper blade and that extends radially above thefreeze plate; accumulating scraped frozen aerated mix in the channel;and, forming a rounded portion from the accumulated frozen aerated mixby extending a plow though the channel towards a cup held in place by acup-lifter mechanism.

Yet another disclosed method comprises: rotating a freeze plate;starting a first air compressor; starting first and second pumps;pulling a spreader body and scraper downward and into engagement withthe rotating freeze plate; pumping a stream of chilled base with thefirst pump; injecting air into the stream of chilled base with the firstair compressor to provide a stream of aerated chilled base; injecting atleast one flavor into the stream of aerated chilled base with the secondpump to provide a stream of aerated mix; delivering the stream ofaerated mix onto the rotating freeze plate in front of the spreaderbody; while the freeze plate rotates, spreading the aerated mix onto aportion of the rotating freeze plate with the spreader body that extendsradially across the portion of the freeze plate to provide a layer offrozen aerated mix; while the freeze plate rotates, scraping the frozenaerated mix off of the freeze plate with a scraper that comprises ascraper blade with a leading edge that extends radially across theportion of the freeze plate and that engages the freeze plate and isdirected opposite a direction of travel of the freeze plate, the scraperfurther comprising a scraper body that forms an elongatedsemi-cylindrical channel above the scraper blade and that extendsradially above the freeze plate; accumulating scraped frozen aerated mixin the channel; shutting off the first and second pumps and aircompressor; tilting the spreader body downward so that a cleaning edgeof the spreader body engages the rotating freeze plate; stopping therotation of the freeze plate; tilting a cup into position at an end ofthe channel opposite along a periphery of the freeze plate for receivingaccumulated scraped frozen aerated mix; forming a rounded scoop-likeportion from the accumulated frozen aerated mix by extending a plowthough the channel to push the accumulated frozen aerated mix towardsthe cup; wiping the plow; retracting the plow back through the channel;and, tilting the cup back to an upright position.

In a refinement, the spreading of the aerated chilled mix occurs overabout ⅔ of a rotation of the freeze plate.

In a refinement, the scraping of the frozen aerated mix occurs overabout ⅓ of a rotation of the freeze plate.

In another refinement, the entire ice cream scoopfabrication/dispensing/freeze plate cleaning operation can be performedin about three rotations of the freeze plate.

Other advantages and features will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when read in conjunction with the attacheddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the disclosed methods andapparatuses, reference should be made to the embodiments illustrated ingreater detail in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a left front perspective view of a stand-alone ice creammaking and dispensing machine made in accordance with this disclosureand intended for use in a retail setting;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1with the outer housing panels removed and revealing the flavor module,the product fabrication module, the lower base storage module, thechiller module, the air compressor module and the electronics controlmodule;

FIG. 3 is front plan view of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1 with theouter housing panels removed and the chilled air circulation and warmair venting paths shown schematically;

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are perspective views of the refrigeration moduledisposed above the flavor module;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the base storage module and associatedpumps;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the electronic control module for thedispensing machine illustrated in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 8 is a sectional perspective view of a disclosed rotating freezeplate, spreader body, aerated mix delivery conduit, hold-down plate andthe lift mechanism for moving the spreader body between spreading andcleaning positions;

FIG. 9 is a side plan view of the rotating freeze plate, stepper motorfor rotating the freeze plate, gearbox and associated coupling assemblyfor coupling the stepper motor to the freeze plate;

FIG. 10 is a side perspective view illustrating how the spreader shaftis retracted to an upward or spreading position thereby causing theforward cleaning edge of the spreader body to pivot upward away from thefreeze plate;

FIG. 11 is a side view illustrating an alternative arrangement for thespreader assembly which includes a pair of springs for biasing the rearspreading end of the spreader body against the freeze plate;

FIG. 12 is another side view of the spreader assembly shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a side view illustrating an alternative arrangement for thespreader assembly which includes a resilient biasing member for biasingthe rear spreading end of the spreader body against the freeze plate;

FIG. 14 is a side view illustrating an alternative arrangement for thespreader assembly which includes two pairs of opposing magnets, onemagnet of each pair associated with the cover and another magnet of eachpair associated with the rear spreading end of the spreader body, forbiasing the rear spreading end of the spreader body against the freezeplate;

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of one disclosed spreader body;

FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the spreader body of FIG. 15 asshown engaging a freeze plate and with the spreader body in thespreading position;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged partial view of the spreader body of FIGS. 15-16illustrating one of the rounded end supports and a portion of thespreader blade and how the rounded end supports are used to space thespreader blade above the upper surface of the rotating freeze plate by afixed distance or gap thereby ensuring even distribution of the chilledaerated mix on the freeze plate;

FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of another disclosed spreader bodywhich features a middle support or foot in addition to the two roundedend supports;

FIG. 19 is a rear perspective view of yet another disclosed spreaderbody with a recess extending along the rear edge of the spreader bodyfor avoiding the accumulation of waste material;

FIG. 20 is an end view of the spreader body shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a side plan view of the freeze plate, scraper, spreader,hold-down plate along with the schematic illustrations of the base,flavor, air and mix-in supplies;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of one disclosed scraper body engaging therotating freeze plate;

FIG. 23 is a plan view of the scraper body and freeze plate illustratedin FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a side plan view of a mix-in dispenser assembly, particularlyillustrating a bin, auger, stepper motor, funnel and chute, used tosprinkle solid mix-in materials on top of the mix disposed on therotating freeze plate and after the mix has been spread to theappropriate thickness by the spreader body as illustrated in FIG. 21;

FIGS. 25-26 are partial rear perspective views of a disclosed productfabrication module illustrating the plow disposed within the scraperbody and the connection between the scraper body and the cup-liftermechanism and the position of the rotating freeze plate behind thecup-lifter mechanism;

FIGS. 27-29 are partial perspective and sectional views illustrating,amongst other things, the hold-down plate, the connections between thehold-down plate and the posts or risers of the hold-down mechanismillustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 46-49 below, the motor andratchet mechanism for moving the plow, and the relationship between theplow, scraper body and one of the disclosed cup-holder mechanisms;

FIG. 30 is a partial perspective view illustrating the plow in a fullyretracted position is indicated by the position of the magnet over themagnet sensor located radially outward from the outer periphery of therotating freeze plate;

FIG. 31 is another partial perspective view illustrating the plow in afully extended or cleaning position with no magnet disposed over thesensor;

FIGS. 32-33 are partial front perspective views of the cup-liftermechanism, freeze plate and scraper body as illustrated in FIGS. 22-23and 25-26;

FIG. 34 is an exploded view of one disclosed cup-lifter mechanismillustrated in FIGS. 32-33 and 35-43;

FIG. 35 is a front perspective view of the cup-lifter mechanismillustrated in FIGS. 32-33 and 36-43 with the cup-holder in the downposition;

FIGS. 36-37 are additional front perspective views of the cup-liftermechanism illustrated in FIGS. 32-33 and 38-43 with the cup-holder inthe up position ready to receive a product portion delivered by the plowthrough the scraper body;

FIGS. 38-40 are various perspective views illustrating the left guidefor controlling the movement of the cup-lifter mechanism, wherein theleft guide is disposed on the left side of the cup-lifter mechanismillustrated in FIGS. 32-37;

FIGS. 41-43 are various perspective views of the right guide forcontrolling the movement of the cup-lifter mechanism, wherein the rightguide is disposed on the right side of the cup-lifter mechanismillustrated in FIGS. 32-37;

FIG. 44 is a perspective view of a plow with an improved face designthat inhibits sticking of the product against the plow after the plowhas pushed a product serving into a cup;

FIG. 45 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 45-45 of FIG.44;

FIG. 46 is an exploded view of one disclosed hold-down mechanism used tounlock the product fabrication module from engagement with the rotatingfreeze plate to permit cleaning and sanitation of the productfabrication module and for providing a desired consistent downward forceof scraper body against the rotating freeze plate in the locked orclamped-down position;

FIG. 47 is a partial bottom perspective view of the product fabricationmodule illustrating the connection of the hold-down plate to the postsor risers of the hold-down mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 46 and 48-49;

FIG. 48 is a bottom perspective view of the hold-down mechanism shown inFIG. 46 in the down, locked or clamped position; and

FIG. 49 is another bottom perspective view of the hold-down mechanismillustrated in FIGS. 41-42 illustrating movement of the front leverupward to unlock or unclamp components of the product fabrication modulefor routine cleaning unit sanitization.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scaleand that the disclosed embodiments are sometimes illustrateddiagrammatically and in partial views. In certain instances, detailswhich are not necessary for an understanding of the disclosed methodsand apparatuses or which render other details difficult to perceive mayhave been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that thisdisclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments illustratedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning first to FIG. 1, a stand-alone ice cream/frozen yogurtfabricating and dispensing machine 130 is illustrated and that isdesigned for a retail setting. The machine 130 includes outer panels131-134 as shown in FIG. 1 which cover a skeleton frame structure asillustrated in FIG. 2. The panel 134 serves as a door with an operationsviewing window 135 and a sliding access door/window 136 which provideseither automated or manual access to the cup-lifter/serving dispensermechanism 155 as described below. Wheels 137 may be provided tofacilitate installation and movement of the machine 130 and for cleaningthe floor beneath the machine 130. The daily maintenance/sanitizationpractices will be described below in connection with FIGS. 27-28 and46-49.

FIG. 2 illustrates the skeleton frame and modular structure of thedispenser 130. A lower compartment or module 138 accommodates basecontainers 139 and pumps 140 used to deliver base to the productfabrication module or “product fabrication module” compartment 142. Themodules/compartments 138/142 are insulated and chilled by at least onededicated compressor 146 shown in FIGS. 4-5. The base materials arepreferably maintained at a temperature of less than about 40° F. (4.4°C.). Accordingly, the base compartment 138 and product fabricationmodule compartment 142 are preferably maintained at temperatures of lessthan about 40° F. (4.4° C.). An ideal temperature range for both ofthese compartments 138, 142 is 36° F.+/−3° F. (2.2° C.+/−1.7° C.). Thus,the compartments or modules 138, 142 are provided with insulation shownschematically at 143. The upper compartment 147 accommodates the liquidflavors, pumps and solid “mix-in” materials. The compartment 147 shouldalso be cooled, but to within a temperature range that is higher thanthe temperature range of the compartments 138, 142. A suitabletemperature range for the upper compartment 147 is 55° F.+/−5° F.(12.8°+/−2.8° C.). The refrigeration module 147 a that is disposed ontop of the flavor module (FIG. 2; see also FIGS. 4-5) cools thecompartments 138, 142, 147.

A chiller mechanism 144 provides liquid coolant to the rotating freezeplate 145. A suitable temperature for the freeze plate is about 10° F.(−12° C.). The compressor 146 and evaporator 146 a of the refrigerationmodule 147 a (FIGS. 4-5) is used for cooling the compartments 138, 142(˜33-39° F.; ˜0.6°-3.9° C.) as well as the flavor module 147 (˜50-60°F.; 10°-16° C.). Referring to FIGS. 2-3, the compressor 246 of themodule 149 is used to aerate the chilled base material and/or chilledbase/flavor mix. The electronics/control module is shown at 150 in FIGS.2 and 7.

Returning to FIGS. 2-5, the compressor 146/evaporator 146 a of therefrigeration module 147 a is used to cool air that is delivered to thelower base compartment 138 and to the middle compartment 142 that housesthe product fabrication components (i.e., “the product fabricationmodule 142”). Chilled air is also communicated to the upper compartment147 that houses the flavorings and solid mix-in materials. However, theair used to cool the compartment 147 may be communicated from the middleand lower compartments 142, 138. One suitable airflow scheme isillustrated in FIG. 3.

Specifically, chilled air is communicated to the lower compartment 138from the refrigeration module 147 a as indicated by the flow path 138 ain FIG. 3. Eventually, at least some of the chilled air is vented to theatmosphere as indicated by the flow path 138 b. A portion of the chilledair from the flow path 138 a may be communicated to the uppercompartment 147. Similarly, chilled air is communicated from therefrigeration module 147 a to the middle compartment 142 as indicated bythe flow path 142 a. Eventually, at least some of this chilled air isvented to the atmosphere as indicated by the flow path 142 b and some ofthe chilled air from the flow path 142 a may be directed to the middlecompartment 147. The air that is eventually vented from the compartment147 is indicated by the flow path 147 b and the chilled air that issupplied to the compartment 147 may be a combination of chilled air fromone or both of the compartments 138, 142. Suitable baffles (not shown)may be used in the flow paths 138 a, 138 b, 142 a, and 142 b, 147 b toachieve the desired temperature ranges within the various compartments138, 142, and 147. The operation of the baffles may be controlled by theelectronics module 150. The working components disposed in the modules148, 149, 150 generate heat and therefore insulation is preferablyprovided along the vertical wall shown generally at 151 in FIGS. 2-3 andpreferably, one or more heat release conduits or chimneys are providedto release heat out the top of the machine 130 as indicated by the flowpath 150 a in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, a single insulated compartment may be provided foraccommodating the base module 138 and the product fabrication module142. Preferably, a desiccant canister 153 is provided to controlhumidity in the product fabrication module 142. The desiccant canister153 may be equipped with its own forced air flow fan or a passive systemmay be employed. A forced air system for the desiccant canister 153 maybe controlled by the electronics module 150 or with a simpleself-contained timing mechanism. As shown in FIG. 2, the fabricationmodule 142 includes a washable liner 154 that covers the upper portionof the compartment 142. At the end of the business day, certaincomponents of the product fabrication module 142 must be removed forcleaning and sanitizing and the liner 154 must also be cleaned orsanitized for compliance with most local health and sanitation laws. Inthat regard, the cup-lifter mechanism 155, whose operation will beexplained in greater detail below, is removable along with variouscomponents of the product fabrication module 142. Operation of thehold-down mechanism 157, hold-down plate 158 and removal of thecup-lifter mechanism 155 will be explained in greater detail below inconnection with FIGS. 27-28 and 46-49.

The compressor 146, evaporator 146 a and refrigeration module 147 a areillustrated in FIGS. 4-5 and the placement of the module 147 a above theflavor module 147 is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 2-3. FIG. 6illustrates a lower compartment or base module 138 with two basecontainers 139 and associated pumps 140. More than two base containers139 may be provided. However, the two base containers 139 illustratedare convenient if one is used for premium or higher fat-content base andthe other is used for “light” base such as lower fat, lower calorieand/or reduced sugar base. Again, the electronics module 150 isillustrated in FIG. 7 as well as FIGS. 2-3.

Turning to FIG. 8, the spreader body 161 is pivoted downward into thecleaning position on top of the freeze plate 145 by downward movement ofthe spreader shaft 183 under the power of the spreader motor 182 (seeFIGS. 27-28). Preferably, the spreader shaft 183 is coupled to thespreader body 161 by a ball and socket connection as indicated by 201 inFIGS. 8 and 201 a in FIGS. 15-16. When spreader body 161 is pivotedupward to a spreading position as illustrated in FIGS. 10-14, the recess202 in the spreader body 161 will engage an abutment 203 disposed on theunderside of the hood 171 or hold-down plate 158. In the cleaningposition illustrated in FIG. 8, both the spreader edge 205 and forwardcleaning edge 191 of the spreader body 161 rest against the uppersurface 173 of the freeze plate 145.

The spreader edge 205 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 15-17. As seenin FIGS. 15-16, the spreader edge 205 includes a rounded end supports206 disposed on either end of a spreader blade 207. As shown in FIG. 17,the rounded end supports 206 support the spreader blade 207 above theupper surface 173 of the freeze plate 145 by a gap or distance shown at207 a in FIG. 17 to ensure consistent, even spreading of the aerated mixover the upper surface 173 of the freeze plate 145. The spreader blade207 and end supports 206 also define an area of the upper surface 173over which the aerated mix is spread.

Alternative the spreader bodies 161 a, 161 b are illustrated in FIGS.18-20. In FIG. 18 the spreader blade 207 b includes three supportsincluding two end supports 206 a and a middle support 206 b. It has beenfound through testing that maintenance of a consistent gap 207 a betweenthe upper surface 173 of the freeze plate 145 (FIG. 17) is important forobtaining a high quality product. That is, once the rotational speed ofthe freeze plate 145 is determined, which is dependent upon the heightof the gap 207 a, maintenance of the gap 207 a ensures that the desiredamount of product is placed on the rotating freeze plate and as time toadequately freeze before being scraped off of the freeze plate 145 bythe scraper body 159 (FIG. 21). Otherwise, if the gap 207 a is notadequately maintained or the thickness of the layer deposited on theupper surface 173 of the rotating freeze plate 145 is not maintained,the rotational speed of the freeze plate 145 may need to be adjusted.Because force is applied to the spreader body 161, any downward bowingof the spreader blade 207, 207 b will affect the height of the gap 207a. In one embodiment, the gap 207 a is maintained at about 12 mil (304.8μm). The employment of a center foot 206 b (FIG. 18) is provided to helpmaintain a consistent gap 207 a, e.g. 12 mil (304.8 μm).

Another problem associated with the spreader bodies 161, 161 a isaddressed in the embodiment 161 b illustrated in FIGS. 18-20.Specifically, build up of waste material tends to occur on the rear wall212 of the spreader bodies 161, 161 a, 161 b during the cleaning cyclewhen the forward cleaning edge 191 of the spreader bodies 161, 161 a arepressed downward to the upper surface 173 of the rotating freeze plate145. Through testing, it has been found that the inclusion of a recess204 in the rear wall 212 close to the spreader blade 207 c helps toalleviate this problem.

FIGS. 9-10 further illustrate various mechanisms for moving the freezeplate 145, spreader body 161 and plow 187. Turning to FIG. 9, the freezeplate 145 is coupled to a stepper motor 168 by a coupling assembly 168a, 168 b and spur gears 168 c, 168 d. A pair of pulleys may also beemployed instead of the spur gears 168 c, 168 d. The coupling assembly168 a, 168 b, stepper motor 168 and freeze plate 145 may all besupported by a common platform 221. In FIG. 10, both the stepper motor182 that is used for raising and lowering the forward cleaning edge 191of the spreader body 161 and the stepper motor 178 that is used formoving the plow 187 (not shown in FIG. 10; see FIGS. 25-29) aresupported on the upper platform 222. The spreader body 161 is shown inthe retracted or spreading position in FIG. 10 as the motor 182 hasraised the shaft 183 upward with the bias of the spring 223 therebylifting the forward cleaning end 191 of the spreader body 161 away fromupper surface 173 of the freeze plate 145 while leaving the spreaderedge 205 in the abutting relationship with the upper surface 173 of thefreeze plate 145 as shown in FIGS. 10-14. The spring 223 for biasing thespreader shaft 183 downward may be accommodated in a standard housing224. The shaft 183 may be equipped with a flag 225 which can be sensedby an optical or magnetic sensor 226 when the shaft 183 and spreaderbody 161 are in the upward or spreading position illustrated in FIGS.10-14. FIG. 10 also illustrates the stepper motor 178 used to move theplow when 87. The stepper motor 178 is coupled to a shaft 179 that isreceived by a coupling 181 which comprises a gear 185 that is enmeshedwith a track 186 for moving the plow 187 forward and backward as betterillustrated in FIG. 29.

Turning to FIGS. 11-12, one alternative arrangement for biasing thespreader edge 205 of the spreader body 161 onto the freeze plate 145(not shown in FIGS. 11-12) is illustrated. Instead of the abutment203/recess 202 combination illustrated in FIG. 8, the spreader body 161is biased downward by a pair of spring-biased feet 208 each of whichinclude a spring (not shown) disposed within one of the housings shownat 224 a in FIG. 11. The pair of spring-biased feet 208 apply uniformdownward pressure on the spreader body 161 to help maintain a consistentgap 207 a between the spreader body 161 or spreader blade 205 and therotating freeze plate 145 (see FIG. 17). Another means for applyingdownward pressure on the spreader body 161 is illustrated in FIG. 13 inthe form of a flexible biasing member 208 a which may be coupled to thehold-down plate 158 and which may be constructed from a relatively rigidbut flexible material, such as rubber. Other materials will be known tothose skilled in the art. Still another means for biasing the spreaderedge 205 of the spreader body 161 towards the freeze plate 145 isillustrated and FIG. 14. Each end of the spreader body accommodates amagnet 208 b and the hold-down plate 158 is similarly equipped with apair of magnets 208 c of opposite polarity to the magnets 208 b. The useof magnets 208 b, 208 c of opposing polarities may be beneficial becauseit includes no moving parts or parts prone to wear.

Turning to FIG. 21, the fabrication of a serving 192 (FIGS. 27-28) willbe described. Chilled base from a base container 139 is delivered to aconduit 209 by a pump 140 (see also FIGS. 2 and 6) where it is aeratedwith a flow of air delivered through an air inlet 210 and provided bythe compressor 246 of the module 149 (FIG. 2-3). The aerated chilledbase continues to flow through the conduit 209 and is combined with oneor more flavors delivered to a flavor inlet 211 by flavor pumps (notshown) and a manifold 213 (see also FIGS. 2-3) to create a “mix” passingthrough the inlet conduit 209 a before it is deposited onto the uppersurface 173 of the rotating freeze plate 145 as shown in FIG. 21. Theflavor pumps may be a plurality of peristaltic pumps, each with its ownstepper motor. The slots 215, 215 a shown in FIG. 2 can be used toaccommodate flavor containers, peristaltic pumps and stepper motors forrunning the flavor pumps.

As the freeze plate 145 rotates in the direction of the arrow 174, themix deposited on the upper surface 173 and passes underneath thespreader 161 to provide a smooth even layer on the surface 173 of thefreeze plate 145 where the aerated mix freezes. As the plate 145continues to rotate, the frozen aerated mix rotates towards the scraper159 and, more specifically, the scraper blade 172. Prior to beingengaged or scraped by the scraper blade 172, additional solid material(“mix-ins”) may be deposited through a hopper system 214 and onto thefrozen layer of aerated mix illustrated towards the right in FIG. 21. Asthe freeze plate 145 continues to rotate, frozen aerated mix is scrapedoff of the upper surface 173 by the blade 172 to form a growingcylindrical mass 215 or “pre-scoop” inside the channel 175. After thefreeze plate 145 has made a complete rotation, the base pump 140 andflavor pump/module 213 are turned off and the shaft 183 is lowered toplace the leading cleaning edge 191 of the spreader body 161 into thecleaning position as described above. The accumulated mass 215 in thechannel 175 is ready to be pressed into a scoop or portion 192 anddeposited in a serving container 177 as shown, for example, in FIGS.27-29.

As illustrated in FIG. 22, the scraper blade 172 a may be fabricatedfrom resilient material in the form of a replaceable member 227 attachedto the scraper body 159 a using an attachment mechanism such as anelongated bead 238 disposed along a rear side 239 of the scraper body159 a and the corresponding slot 240 disposed opposite the member 227from the blade 172 a. Using a resilient material for the scraper blade172 a has been found to leave less residue on the freeze plate 145 whichavoids problems associated with carryover of product of one serving(e.g., pistachio-green) bleeding into or leaving traces on a subsequentserving of product of another color (e.g. vanilla-yellow orwhite/yellow). Further, the wearable and replaceable material scraperbody 227 may be fabricated using conventional material, such aspolyurethane. The blade 172 a should maintain intimate contact with thefreeze plate 145 to facilitate the subsequent cleaning that is carriedout via the forward cleaning edge 191 of the spreader body 161. Keepingthe upper surface 173 freeze plate 145 clean avoids contamination issuediscussed above, particularly when a product of a light color, such asvanilla, is dispensed immediately subsequent to a product of a darker orbrighter color, such as strawberry, pistachio, etc. Employing areplaceable blade member 227 helps to ensure that substantially all ofthe product of one dispense is scraped off of the upper surface 173 ofthe freeze plate 145 prior to being dispatched to a serving cup by theplow 175 as discussed below in before subsequent product mix isdeposited on the upper surface 173 of the rotating freeze plate 145.

Additional details of the hopper system 214 are provided in FIG. 24. Thehopper system 214 preferably includes a bin 228 that is equipped with acover 229. The bin 228 accommodates an auger 230. The proximal end 230 aof the auger 230 is coupled to a coupling 231 that, in turn, is coupledto a spur gear 232. The spur gear 232 is enmeshed with a spur gear 233that is coupled to the auger stepper motor 234. The controller 235relays the communications from the control module 150 (FIGS. 2-3 and 7).The distal end 230 b of the auger 230 extends into a funnel 236. Thefunnel 236 is disposed above and is coupled to a chute 237, throughwhich the particulate mix-in materials pass before being deposited ontothe aerated base layer that has been deposited onto the upper surface173 of the rotating freeze plate 145.

FIGS. 25-26 provide rear views of one disclosed cup-lifter mechanism355, scraper body 159 a and plow 187 which passes through the channel175 in the scraper body 159 a. The freeze plate 145 and scraper body 159a are disposed between a pair of posts 165 that are biased upward byaction of the springs 164 against the collars 163 and by the action ofthe springs 162 against the linear bearings 169 and bushings 269. Thebushings 269 include through openings 270 for accommodating the clamps166 illustrated in FIG. 27. The product fabrication module 142 (see alsoFIGS. 2-3) is supported above the platform 221. The operation of theclampdown mechanism 157 will be explained in greater detail inconnection with FIGS. 27 and 46-49. The cup-lifter mechanism 355 isillustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 32-37.

Turning to FIGS. 27-29, the freeze plate 145 is partially covered by thehold-down plate 158 and hood 171. The hold-down plate 158 also pressesthe scraper body 159 downward so that the leading edge or scraper blade172 engages the upper surface 173 of the freeze plate 145 in a directionopposite the direction of rotation of the freeze plate 145, which isindicated by the arrow 174 in FIG. 28. FIG. 28 also partiallyillustrates the channel 175 formed by the scraper body 159 in whichscraped, frozen and aerated mix accumulates as the freeze plate 145rotates. The accumulated scraped frozen aerated mix is collected in thechannel 175 and pushed down the channel and through the access opening176 by the plow 187 to an awaiting cup 177 that is supported by thecup-lifter mechanism 155 (FIG. 27-29) or 355 (FIGS. 25-26 and 32-37).The plow motor 178 rotates the shaft 179 and plow coupling 181. The plowcoupling 181 is coupled to the gear 185 (FIG. 29) which is enmeshed witha track 186 (FIG. 27) that is coupled to the plow 187 by the shaft orrod 188 (FIG. 29). Thus, rotational movement of the plow gear 185 istranslated into lateral movement of the plow track 186, plow connectingrod 188 and plow 187 as indicated by the arrow 216 (FIG. 29). Thespreader motor 182 (FIGS. 27-28) raises and lowers the shaft 183 forplacing the spreader body 161 in the spreading position shown in FIGS.10-14 or in the cleaning position shown in FIG. 8. Downward movement ofthe shaft 183 (see the arrow 190 of FIG. 8) against the bias of thespring 223 urges of the bottom surface 189 of the spreader body 161against the upper surface 173 of the freeze plate 145 in a cleaningposition. In the position shown in FIG. 8, the forward edge 191 facesthe against direction of rotation 174 of the freeze plate 145 in thecleaning position and acts to scrape residue off of the upper surface173 of the freeze plate 145 to avoid mixing the contents of a previousserving with the serving currently being prepared.

Returning to FIGS. 27-29, the crossbeam 167 couples the vertical posts165 to provide structural integrity. The upper platform 222 supports theflavor manifold 213, spreader body motor 182 and plow motor 178. Theclamps 166 connect the vertical posts 165 to the hold-down plate 158.The hold-down plate 158 is drawn downward to the fabrication positionillustrated in FIGS. 27-29 by the clampdown mechanism 157 illustrated ingreater detail in connection with FIGS. 46-49.

The scoop or serving 192 is formed by the action of the plow 187 passingthrough the channel 175 of the scraper body 159. The scoop or portion192 is received in a cup 177 at the cup-lifter mechanism 155. In oneembodiment, the cup-lifter mechanism 155 includes a motor 184 (FIG. 29)which drives the cup-lifter mechanism 155. In the position shown inFIGS. 27-28, the cup-lifter mechanism 155 is in the dispense or startingposition illustrating the position of a realistic looking scoop orserving 192 disposed in a cup 177 received in the cup-holder 193. Thecup-holder 193 is pivotally coupled to an elevator door 194 so thecup-holder 193 can pivot upward and rearward towards the access opening176 as shown in FIG. 28. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 29, thecup-holder 193 includes a front end 193 a that is pivotally coupled to apair of spaced apart arms 195 at the pivotal connections shown generallyat 196 which couple the proximal ends of the arms 195 to the cup-holder193 using a pivot pin connection. The distal ends of the arms 195 arecoupled to the door 194 with a living hinge mechanism or other flexiblemechanism shown generally at 197. The rear end 193 b of the cup-holder193 (FIG. 29) is pivotally coupled to the rear wall 198 a of the frame198 of the cup-lifter mechanism 155 at the pivot shafts 199, one ofwhich may be driven by the cup-lifter motor 184. To move the cup 177 andcup-holder 193 of the mechanism 155 illustrated in FIG. 27-29 into areceiving position in front of the access opening 176 as shown in FIG.29, the motor 184 rotates the shaft 199 which raises the door 194upwards towards the top of the frame 198 and causes the cup-holder 193and cup 177 contained therein to pivot towards the access opening 176and into position in alignment with the channel 175 for receiving thescraped frozen aerated mix that will be pushed into the cup 177 by theplow 187 as illustrated in FIG. 29.

After the mix has been deposited onto the upper surface 173 of therotating freeze plate 145 and the plate 145 is rotated in the directionof the arrow 174 towards the scraper body 159, and scraped, frozen mixhas accumulated in the channel 175, the plow motor 178 (FIG. 28) isactivated thereby rotating the shaft 179 and the plow coupling 181 whichcauses the gear 185 (FIGS. 28-29) to rotate and move the rack 186forward or in the direction of the arrow 216 to the fully extendedposition shown in FIG. 29. The face 187 a of the plow 187 pushes themass 192 into the cup 177.

As shown in FIGS. 30-31, a sensor 241, such as an optical or magneticsensor, may be supported above the platform 221 by a bracket 242. Whenthe rack 186 and plow 187 have been moved to the retracted or homeposition shown in FIG. 30, the flag 243, which can be a magnet or othersuitable device for use with the sensor 241, is disposed above thesensor 241 for purposes of generating a signal to stop the action of theplow motor 178. In the position shown in FIG. 31, the plow 187 is in aposition to be cleaned by the wiper elements 217 shown in FIG. 29.Specifically, the wiper elements 217 may be built into or coupled to thedoor 194. After the cup 177 is filled with a scoop or portion 192, andthe cup-holder 193 is ready to be pivoted downward to the position shownin FIGS. 27-28 so the cup 177 can be retrieved by the consumer, the plow187 is may be retracted slightly from the position shown in FIGS. 29 and31 so that when the door 194 is lowered under the action of the motor184, the wiper elements 217 will clean the front surface 187 a of theplow 187 and deposit the scrap material in the waste channel 218 of theframe 198 of the cup-lifter mechanism 155 (see FIG. 29).

Turning to FIGS. 32-45, a slightly different cup-lifter mechanism 355 isillustrated. Referring first to the exploded view of FIG. 34, thecup-lifter motor 384 includes a coupling element 345 that is coupled tothe right end 399 of the shaft 401. The right end 399 of the shaft 401passes through the opening 351 in the plate member 402 that is mountedto the frame 398. The motor 384 is coupled to the side plate 402 (orframe 398 if no side plate 402 is employed) using conventionalfasteners. A home sensor is shown at 403 which may be used to detect thepresence of a cup 177 placed in the cup-holder 393, the return of thecup-holder 393 to the home position shown in FIGS. 32-33 or thedeparture of the cup-holder 393 from the home position. A seal 404 isprovided to inhibit liquid material from entering the motor coupling345. The shaft 401 includes a tongue 405 that is received within agroove 406 of the rear end 393 b of the cup-lifter mechanism 393. Thetongue 405 and shaft 401 are disposed beneath the flap-shaped rear end393 b of the cup-holder 393. The front end 393 a of the cup-holder 393is pivotally coupled to proximal ends the arms 395 at the snap-fitpivotal connections shown at 396 a, 396 b. The cup-holder 393 alsoincludes outwardly extending pins 406 that are received in the shapedtracks 407 disposed at either end of the cup-holder 393 as illustratedin FIGS. 35-36. Again, the left and right plates 410, 402 are optionaland the tracks 407 may be integral components of the frame 398.

The left side plate 410 includes a track 407 as does the right sideplate 402. The frame 398 includes an opening 476 that is coupled to arear plate 398 a that includes an opening 376 for receiving a portion orserving 192. The use of a rear plate 398 a is also optional and one ormore features of the rear plate 398 a may also be integral features ofthe frame 398. The frame 398 also includes a cup rest or support 411.The rear plate 398 a or frame 398 preferably includes a pair of tracks399 on which the door 394 is slidably mounted. The distal ends of thearms 395 are coupled to the door or elevator 394 at the snap-fit pivotalconnections shown at 397 a, 397 b. Similar to the embodiment 155illustrated above, the cup-lifter mechanism 355 also includes a wiperelement 317 supported by the door 394 for wiping the face 187 a of theplow 187. The scraper body 159 may be coupled to the rear plate 398 a orframe 398 using the brackets 412 and to the frame 398 using the bracket413.

The drive coupling 345 passes through the opening 351 in the plate 402before engaging the shaped pivot shaft 399. Rotation of the shaft 399under the force of the motor 384 results in the pivotal and upwardmovement of the cup-holder 393 along the paths of the tracks 407 andupward movement of the door 394 as the cup-holder 393 and door 394coupled by the arms 395.

The cup-lifter mechanism 355 illustrated in FIGS. 32-43 address problemsassociated with the prepared a serving or scoop 192 sticking to the face187 a of the plow 187. Specifically, the shaped tracks 407 disposed inthe right side plate 402 and left side plate 410 are illustrated inFIGS. 38-43. Each track 407 includes a curved or arcuate portion 407 aand a straight or vertical portion 407 b. The pins or shafts 406disposed on either end of the cup-holder 393 are received in the tracks407. The arcuate portions 407 a of the tracks 407 cause the cup-holder393 to pivot upward from the position shown in FIG. 35 to the positionshown in FIG. 36. However, to place the cup 177 squarely in front of theopening 376 in the rear wall or plate number 398 a, the motor 384continues to rotate causing the pins 406 of the cup-holder 393 to rideupward at least partially along the vertical portions 407 b of thetracks 407. After the desired amount of vertical movement, the cup 177and cup-holder 393 arrives at the position shown in FIG. 37 where thecup 177 is ready to receive a scoop or portion 192 through the opening376 (FIG. 34).

Further, the vertical track portions 407 b may be helpful in preventingsticking of the scoop or portion 192 against the plow face 187 a.Specifically, before or during the initial refraction of the plow 187,the cup-lifter motor 384 can rotate in a reverse or downward directionthereby drawing the cup-holder 393 and cup 177 in an initial verticaldownward motion which results in a downward force imposed by the cup 177against the portion or scoop 192 and releasing the portion 192 from theface 187 a of the plow 187. Accordingly, the arcuate portions 407 a ofthe tracks 407 provide the pivotal movement required to place the cup177 and the intermediate position illustrated in FIG. 36 and thevertical portions 407 b of the tracks 407 raise the cup 177 andcup-holder 393 slightly upward from the position shown in FIG. 36 to thereceiving position shown in FIG. 37. Then, to dislodge a scoop orportion 192 from the plow face 187 a, the initial downward verticalmovement caused by the vertical track segments 407 b imposes a downwardforce on the scoop or portion 192 by the cup 177 thereby dislodging theportion 197 from the plow face 187 a. It will be noted again thatseparate left and right plate members 410, 402 are optional and that thetracks 407 as well as openings or bushings 351, 351 may be moldeddirectly into the frame 398.

Finally, the clampdown mechanism 157 is illustrated in greater detail inconnection with FIGS. 46-49. Turning first to FIG. 46, a front panel 501is provided with two handles 502. The front panel 501 serves as a lever.The posts 165 are coupled to the clamps 166 that couple the posts 165 tothe hold-down plate 158 at the through openings 270 in the bushings 269(see also the alternative embodiment of FIG. 27 where the clamp 166 iscoupled directly to the post 165 at the through opening 170 a). Thecollars 163 are mounted onto the posts 165 and are used to set thetension of the upper springs 164. The lower springs 162 are trappedbetween the linear bushings 169 that are coupled to the platform 221 andthe middle bushings 269. The lower ends 165 a of the posts 165 arecoupled to the lower brackets 503 below the linear bushings 169 by thepins shown at 504. The forked distal ends 503 a of the brackets 503 arecoupled to the forked distal ends 505 a of the upper brackets 505 usingthe pins shown at 506. The distal ends 503 a, 505 a of the upper andlower brackets 503, 505 are also coupled to the stationary side brackets507, which may be fixedly coupled to the underside of the platform 221.In the hold-down mechanism 157 illustrated in FIG. 46, the brackets 505and 507 are stationary and the lower brackets 503 can pivot downwardabout an axis defined by the pins 506 and provide the hold-down orclamping force imposed on the posts 165.

The front or proximal ends 503 b of the lower brackets 503 are linked orcoupled to middle coupling members 510 by the short links shown at 511and the pins 512, 513 a. The middle coupling members 511 are thencoupled to the proximal ends 505 b of the upper brackets 505 by the pins513 b. The entire mechanism 157 is mounted to the underside of theplatform 221 as shown in FIG. 47. It will be noted that variations existbetween the posts 165, bearings 169, bushings 269, springs 164, 162,collars 163 and clamps 166 shown in FIGS. 46 and 27. These variationsare incidental and are intended to reflect the flexibility of the designof the hold-down mechanism 157.

In FIG. 48, the hold-down mechanism 157 has been moved to the locked orclamped position and the machine 130 is ready for use. Specifically, thelever 501 has been pushed downward causing the lower brackets 503 topivot away from the fixed upper brackets 505. As the lower brackets 503are coupled to the lower ends 165 a of the vertical posts 165, the posts165 are pulled vertically downward through the linear bearings 169against the bias imposed by the springs 162, 164. A triple pivot actionprovided by the lower pins 512, the short links 511, the middle pins 513a, the middle coupling members 511 and the upper pins 513 a. The threepivot axes are provided by the pins 512, 513 a and 513 b. Further, anupward bias is imposed on the lower brackets 503 by the springs 162, 164by way of the connection between the lower ends 165 a of the posts 165and the lower brackets 503. When the lever 501 is pivoted downward fromthe position shown in FIG. 49 to the position shown in FIG. 48, themiddle coupling members 510 arc downward towards a vertical orientationand the short links 511 arc upwardly towards a vertical orientation. Asthe middle coupling members 510 and short links 511 become verticallyaligned and rotate slightly past vertical alignment, the middle pins 513a reach an “over center” position which, in combination with the upwardbias is imposed by the springs 164, 162, snaps or locks the mechanism157 in place. When the lever 505 is pulled outward and upward along thearc shown by the arrow 520 in FIG. 49, the short links 511 and middlecoupling members 510 arc outward away from platform 221 before beingpulled upward by the springs 162, 164 and posts 165.

In the unlocked position illustrated in FIG. 49, the clamps 166 andhold-down plate 158 move vertically upward to release the scraper body159 from the downward force imposed by the hold-down plate 158 andhold-down mechanism 157. Then, the scraper body 159, 159 a and cup liftmechanism 155, 355 may be pulled outward from the liner 154 of thefabrication module 142 (FIG. 2) for daily cleaning and sanitization.With the cup-lifter mechanism 155 and scraper body 159 removed, theoperator has easy access to the plow 187, feed conduit 209 a, hold-downplate 158, freeze plate 145, and spreader body 161 and other items thatmay need to be removed from the liner 154 and cleaned. The conduit 209 amay be a disposable item and discarded.

In operation, a clean plow 187 may be installed. A clean spreader body161 and conduit 209 a are then coupled to a clean hold-down plate 158and the hold-down plate 158 is coupled to the clamps 166 whereby afriction fit or snap-fit action may be used to securely couple thehold-down plate 158 to the clamps 166. Then, a clean cup-liftermechanism 155 and scraper body 159 are slid into place and the hold-downmechanism 157 may be locked into place, or in the position shown in FIG.48.

After the chiller 144 has cooled the freeze plate 145 to the desiredtemperature and with the fabrication module 142 and hold-down mechanism157 in the locked position (FIG. 48), a portion 192 may be prepared. Thespreader body 161 is moved to the spreading position (FIGS. 10-14).Chilled aerated mix is deposited on the rotating freeze plate 145through the conduits 209, 209 a. The electronics module 150 controls theflavor manifold 213 and selection of the base reservoir 139. Thecup-lifter mechanism 155 is moved to the up position (FIG. 36). Afterless than one rotation of the freeze plate 145, the now frozen aeratedmix (and solid mix-ins) is scraped up the by the scraper blade 172 andbegins to accumulate in the channel 175. When the dispense through theconduit 209 a is complete, the plow 187 is activated and proceeds downthe channel 175 towards the waiting cup 177. After the plow 187 packsthe portion 192 to the cup 177 (FIGS. 29 and 36), the system 130 goesinto a short delay which helps cause the portion 192 to become dislodgedfrom the face 187 a of the plow 187. Then, cup-lifter mechanism 155 ismoved from the position shown in FIG. 36 to the position shown in FIG.37 to knock the portion 192 off of the plow 187 and into the cup 177.The door 394 may be lowered as the freeze plate 145 begins to rotate forthe cleaning cycle and the spreader body 161 is lowered so that itsbottom surface 189 engages the top surface 173 of the rotating freezeplate 145. As the door 394 is lowered, the plow 187 may be refracted ashort distance to accommodate the lower edge 394 c of the door 394.Subsequently, the door 394 is lowered all the way to the closed position(FIG. 35) and the face 187 a of the plow 187 is cleaned by the wiperelements 317 on the door 394. Optionally, the door 394 may be cleaned bya wiper element (not shown) disposed a recess 317 a in the rear plate398 a or frame 398 (FIG. 34).

Another method of operating the disclosed machine 130 to prevent theportion or scoop 192 from sticking to the plow 187 comprises: pushing ascoop 192 into the cup 177 by extending the plow 187; instituting ashort delay of any retraction on movement of the plow 187, whichsometimes causes dislodgement of the scoop 192 from the face of the plow187; contemporaneously begin a short retraction of the plow 187 andlowering of the door 394; engaging any portion of the scoop 192 stilladhering to the plow 187 with the lower edge 394 c of the door 394;retract the plow 187 to a cleaning position where the face 187 a of theplow 187 is in position to be wiped by the wiper elements 317 on thedoor 394; lowering the door 394 to clean the plow 187 with the wiperelements 317 on the door 394; and complete the retraction of the plow187 through the channel 175 in preparation for the next dispense.

While only certain embodiments have been set forth, alternatives andmodifications will be apparent from the above description to thoseskilled in the art. These and other alternatives are consideredequivalents and within the spirit and scope of this disclosure and theappended claims.

1. An apparatus for making and dispensing frozen aerated productscomprising: a rotating horizontal freeze plate comprising an uppersurface for receiving a chilled aerated mix thereon; a scraper forscraping frozen aerated mix off of the rotating freeze plate, thescraper forming a channel for the collection of scraped, frozen andaerated mix; a plow for pushing the mix through the channel towards acup held by a cup-holder of a cup-lifter mechanism disposed at an end ofthe channel; the cup-lifter mechanism comprising a frame with an openingin alignment with the channel, the cup-holder including a rear end and afront end, the rear end being disposed between the frame and the frontend, the rear end being coupled to a motor, the cup-holder being coupledto a door that covers the opening when the cup-lifter mechanism is in afirst position, the door being movable to a second position above theopening with the cup-holder pivoted upward in alignment with andcovering the opening with a cup when a cup is received in thecup-holder.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the front side of thecup-holder is coupled to the door and the door is slidably coupled tothe frame.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the door comprises awiper element for wiping the plow when the door moves from the second tothe first position and when the plow is disposed at the opening in theframe after the plow has pushed the mix into the cup.
 4. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a rear wall in which the openingis disposed, the rear wall comprising a pair of spaced-apart tracks thatare slidably coupled to the door.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 whereinthe rear wall comprises a wiper element for cleaning a rear side of thedoor that faces the channel and plow.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the frame comprises a wiper element for cleaning a rear side ofthe door that faces the channel and plow.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the front end of the cup-holder is hingedly connected to thedoor by a pair of spaced-apart arms disposed on either side of thecup-holder.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame comprises apair of sidewalls, each sidewall comprising a shaped track including alower arcuate portion and an upper vertical portion, the cup-holdercomprising a pair of outwardly extending and oppositely directed pins,each pin being slidably disposed in one of the shaped tracks, the lowerarcuate portions of the shaped tracks causing the cup-holder and cup topivot upward towards the opening and the vertical portions of the shapedtracks causing the cup-holder and cup to move vertically upward inalignment with the opening.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein theframe comprises a pair of opposing side plates in which the shapedtracks are disposed.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rear endof the cup-holder comprises a shaft, one end of the shaft being coupledto the motor and the opposite end of the shaft being rotatably coupledto the frame.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a homesensor for detecting when the cup-holder is in a least one of the firstand second positions, the home sensor and motor being linked to acontroller.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the scraper body iscoupled to the frame.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plowcomprises a plow face that engages the mix, the plow face comprising ashingled cross-sectional profile to inhibit sticking of the scraped,frozen aerated portion to the plow face.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the frame further comprises an upwardly protruding cup supportand the cup-holder comprises a ring to support a cylindrical orfrusto-conically shaped cup within the ring, in the first position, thecup-holder is rotated downward so that a bottom panel of the cup engagesthe cup support to release frictional engagement between the cup and thering.
 15. An apparatus for making and dispensing frozen aerated productscomprising: a rotating horizontal freeze plate comprising an uppersurface for receiving a chilled aerated mix thereon; a spreader body fordistributing the chilled aerated mix on the rotating freeze plate; ascraper for scraping frozen aerated mix off of the rotating freezeplate, the scraper forming a channel for the collection of scraped,frozen and aerated mix; a plow for pushing the mix through the channeltowards a cup held by a cup-holder of a cup-lifter mechanism disposed atan end of the channel; the cup-lifter mechanism comprising a frame withan opening in alignment with the channel, the cup-holder including arear end and a front end, the rear end being disposed between the frameand the front end, the rear end being coupled to a motor, the cup-holderbeing coupled to a door that covers the opening when the cup-liftermechanism is in a first position, the cup-holder and door being movableto a second position with the door above the opening and the cup-holderand cup covering the opening, the frame comprising at least one shapedtrack that comprises a lower arcuate portion and an upper verticalportion, the cup-holder comprising an outwardly extending pin disposedin the shaped track, the lower arcuate portion of the shaped trackcausing the cup-holder and cup to pivot upward from the first positiontowards the opening and the vertical portion of the shaped trackscausing the cup-holder and cup to move vertically upward in alignmentwith the opening in the second position.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15wherein the frame comprises a rear wall in which the opening isdisposed, the rear wall comprising a pair of spaced-apart tracks thatare slidably coupled to the door, and wherein the front end of thecup-holder is hingedly connected to the door by a pair of spaced-apartarms disposed on either side of the cup-holder.
 17. The apparatus ofclaim 15 wherein the rear end of the cup-holder comprises a shaft, oneend of the shaft being coupled to the motor and the opposite end of theshaft being rotatably coupled to the frame.
 18. The apparatus of claim15 further comprising a home sensor for detecting when the cup-holder isin a least one of the first and second positions, the home sensor andmotor being linked to a controller.
 19. The apparatus of claim 15wherein the plow comprises a plow face that engages the mix, the plowface comprising a shingled cross-sectional profile to inhibit stickingof the scraped, frozen aerated portion to the plow face.